James Ohlen Shifts From Archetype Entertainment Head to Creative Consultant for Tabletop RPGs at Wizards

James Ohlen is "shifting his focus" to tabletop RPGs once more after choosing to step down from Archetype Entertainment ahead of the studio's release of its first game Exodus. This week, Wizards of the Coast announced the move, with Ohlen leaving his post as lead of Archetype Entertainment and Blizzard veteran Paul Della Bitta stepping in to lead Wizards' Digital Ventures arm. Ohlen joined Wizards of the Coast back in 2019 to lead up Archetype Entertainment, a new internal games studio tasked with designing AAA games based on new IPs. Their first product, Exodus, is due out for release in 2027. According to a statement provided to GamesIndustry.biz, Ohlen felt that his work on Exodus was complete and that the final polishing and tuning were in "great hands" with the remaining team.

What's interesting about Ohlen's departure is that he will remain employed at Wizards as a creative consultant and that he is "shifting his creative focus" to TTRPGs. Shortly after departing Bioware, Ohlen launched Arcanum Worlds, a tabletop RPG studio publishing third-party 5E material. Ohlen developed a 5E-version of Exodus for Wizards and also released several DMs Guild supplements while employed with Wizards. Whether this means that Ohlen will have a bigger role on Dungeons & Dragons material in the future or if he'll continue to release his own brand of 5E material with a soft connection to Wizards remains to be seen.

 

[Reynard]

Interesting. I am not familiar with any of his work.

I did not know that WotC employees were putting out work in the DMsGuild while employed. I wonder how that works.

 

[Christian Hoffer]

Interesting. I am not familiar with any of his work.

I did not know that WotC employees were putting out work in the DMsGuild while employed. I wonder how that works.

From what I understand, it was work that originally was going to be published at Arcanum Worlds as DMs Guild material, but was released as a Wizards of the Coast-branded product with sales proceeds going towards charity when he joined the company.

 

[Parmandur]

Interesting. I am not familiar with any of his work.

I did not know that WotC employees were putting out work in the DMsGuild while employed. I wonder how that works.

Lrad on Baldurw Gate 1, Baldur's Gate 2, Neverwinter Nights, Knights of the Old Republic, Dragon Age. Also involved with Mass Effect.

 

[Cergorach]

The ability to say "It wasn't me!" or are they already leaving the ship?

 

[Reynard]

Lrad on Baldurw Gate 1, Baldur's Gate 2, Neverwinter Nights, Knights of the Old Republic, Dragon Age. Also involved with Mass Effect.

I mean TTRPG work.

 

[BovineofWar]

I mean TTRPG work.

Chains of Asmodeus was probably his most notable TTRPG work before Exodus.

 

[GMMichael]

Ohlen felt that his work on Exodus was complete and that the final polishing and tuning were in "great hands" with the remaining team.

I'll say!


Sounds like Matthew McConaughey's work is complete too.

 

[saviirkad]

Chains of Asmodeus was probably his most notable TTRPG work before Exodus.

Odyssey of the Dragonlords and . . . Oh, I'm forgetting the title but it basically was a follow-up to the older Baldur's Gate games that round out the other major works he's done, that I'm aware of.

 

[Alphastream]

What's interesting about Ohlen's departure is that he will remain employed at Wizards as a creative consultant and that he is "shifting his creative focus" to TTRPGs. Shortly after departing Bioware, Ohlen launched Arcanum Worlds, a tabletop RPG studio publishing third-party 5E material. Ohlen developed a 5E-version of Exodus for Wizards and also released several DMs Guild supplements while employed with Wizards. Whether this means that Ohlen will have a bigger role on Dungeons & Dragons material in the future or if he'll continue to release his own brand of 5E material with a soft connection to Wizards remains to be seen.

Have you been able to verify this statement? I noticed the wording is a bit ambiguous: "He is still going to be a creative consultant for the company and had been asked to "shift his creative focus" to tabletop RPGs."

The use of had is strange. Does this mean he was asked to shift to RPGs and he said no, so he is stepping back and consulting? Or, did he or they decide he would leave and now he/they have decided he will do RPGs?